The current official page says a joining spouse or unmarried child under twenty-one should be included in the initial application, and each family member requires an additional nonrefundable $15,000 DHS processing fee and $1 million gift. Re-verify those terms before money moves.
Do not import familiar family rules into an unfamiliar program
Hypothetical example: the driver assumes his wife and two children are automatically included because that is how he has heard other routes described. The current official Gold Card page instead says that a spouse and each unmarried child under twenty-one should be included in the initial application, with a separate nonrefundable $15,000 DHS processing fee and $1 million gift for each family member. Record each person's age, relationship, and applicant status separately, and compare the total with the household's actual objective. Because the framework has changed since announcement, save the official page with the date checked and re-verify the family terms before paying.
On the official description the fee starts an application and vetting; permanent residence follows only if the applicant passes vetting, makes the gift and qualifies under the EB-1 or EB-2 immigrant categories, including ordinary admissibility rules.